1 million more Toyotas recalled

Toyota Motors said late Wednesday that it will add 1million vehicles to an earlier recall of cars and trucks because floor mats could jam accelerator pedals.

The latest action comes a day after the Japanese automaker halted sales and production of eight popular models as it works to fix a problem in which the gas pedals can stick down, leading to unintended acceleration.

The automaker originally announced a floor-mat recall last fall, and Wednesday's decision expands that to 5.3 million vehicles. That comes on top of 2.3 million vehicles that Toyota recalled separately a week ago because their accelerator pedals could stick and cause runaway acceleration.

The sudden acceleration problem has resulted in growing political, legal and business fallout for Toyota, the nation's second-largest seller of motor vehicles, which had built a reputation for quality and safety.

At least two rental car companies said Wednesday they were temporarily removing tens of thousands of Toyota vehicles from their fleets, reflecting a growing concern about the safety of the brand. Meanwhile, the United Auto Workers seized on the controversy to schedule a protest in Washington against the non-union manufacturer.

And attention on Toyota's safety issues appears to be growing among federal regulators and members of Congress, who have begun investigating the company's handling of the acceleration problem since it surfaced publicly last summer.

"We are growing very concerned about the public safety issue," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of oversight and investigation panel of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "The problem has not been exactly identified. Therefore you have no solution, and consumers are left in the lurch."